Today, Zach Edey. Perhaps you've heard of him.
OUTLOOK FOR THE SEASON
So, Zach Edey is now the player Purdue builds pretty much everything around at both ends of the floor. He's its best, most productive, most experienced and most influential player and his path to as many minutes as he can handle without falling over is clear.
That about covers it.
KEYS TO SUCCESS
• Handling being the guy. Not that he wasn't someone opponents prepared for before — he sure as hell was — but things around now centralized around him now, without Jaden Ivey to worry about, Sasha Stefanovic to worry about and Trevion Williams to share the burden. Edey has to set a physical tone from the outset of games, and that's not something he did every time out at times last season. You'll recall the loss at Rutgers and some others where he started slow and that kinda put Purdue being the sticks a bit to start games. Have to keep that sort of thing to a minimum now.
• Fouls. If you're sick of discussion of how Edey is officiated, just take this season off from your fandom. Edey will be the most fouled player in the league and probably get about 50-60 percent called, conservatively. Meanwhile, even though Purdue has intriguing options behind him in the frontcourt, that cheap over-the-back, moving screen or reach-in to start games, that stuff matters more now.
• Decision-making. You can now make the argument that Edey's Purdue's most important offensive decision-maker, and last we saw him, he turned the ball over five times against St. Pete in limited minutes. Purdue's got to cut down its turnovers across the board and has to generate great looks from three and drives off inside-out play. It all depends on Edey.
• Conditioning. It may not be the number of minutes that matter most, but the volume of minutes in which he can play at his highest level. Not sure he's ever gonna be a 30-minute guy, but not sure Purdue needs him to be if his 25 can be really good.
• Defensive improvement. Drop coverage is tricky, kind of a man-without-a-country sort of deal for a very large human to pull, both being in back pedal to protect the rim but also needing to be on your toes to get a decent contest. Purdue's going to concede pulI-up two-point shots (see: Xavier Johnson) playing this way, but it's preferable to allowing shots at the rim. Either way, Edey has to do his best job ever with it, but also in his ability to be high enough to take away pick-and-pop threes against teams who can do that (see: Hunter Dickinson).
BIGGEST QUESTION(S)
This is about covered already, but the decision-making is the biggest, IMO. This is the most responsibility Edey has ever carried on a team and probably ever will carry on a team in his basketball career. He's Purdue's starting point at both ends of the floor and the definition of the term "foundational."
Oh, getting that foul-shooting percentage up would be a welcomed sight too for Purdue.
• Can Purdue make enough threes to give him the space he needs? Does this new group of guards hit the ground running knowing how to play with a guy like Edey? When has Braden Smith or David Jenkins ever played with a guy like this? Will more calls go his way than not.
Point is: Much of Edey's success is dependent on those around him.
BOTTOM LINE
No reason Edey can't be one of the most productive players in college basketball, maybe the most physically gifted players in college basketball. But Purdue has to be great around him, too, the way that group in 2019 wound up being great around Carsen Edwards and Ryan Cline.
OUTLOOK FOR THE SEASON
So, Zach Edey is now the player Purdue builds pretty much everything around at both ends of the floor. He's its best, most productive, most experienced and most influential player and his path to as many minutes as he can handle without falling over is clear.
That about covers it.
KEYS TO SUCCESS
• Handling being the guy. Not that he wasn't someone opponents prepared for before — he sure as hell was — but things around now centralized around him now, without Jaden Ivey to worry about, Sasha Stefanovic to worry about and Trevion Williams to share the burden. Edey has to set a physical tone from the outset of games, and that's not something he did every time out at times last season. You'll recall the loss at Rutgers and some others where he started slow and that kinda put Purdue being the sticks a bit to start games. Have to keep that sort of thing to a minimum now.
• Fouls. If you're sick of discussion of how Edey is officiated, just take this season off from your fandom. Edey will be the most fouled player in the league and probably get about 50-60 percent called, conservatively. Meanwhile, even though Purdue has intriguing options behind him in the frontcourt, that cheap over-the-back, moving screen or reach-in to start games, that stuff matters more now.
• Decision-making. You can now make the argument that Edey's Purdue's most important offensive decision-maker, and last we saw him, he turned the ball over five times against St. Pete in limited minutes. Purdue's got to cut down its turnovers across the board and has to generate great looks from three and drives off inside-out play. It all depends on Edey.
• Conditioning. It may not be the number of minutes that matter most, but the volume of minutes in which he can play at his highest level. Not sure he's ever gonna be a 30-minute guy, but not sure Purdue needs him to be if his 25 can be really good.
• Defensive improvement. Drop coverage is tricky, kind of a man-without-a-country sort of deal for a very large human to pull, both being in back pedal to protect the rim but also needing to be on your toes to get a decent contest. Purdue's going to concede pulI-up two-point shots (see: Xavier Johnson) playing this way, but it's preferable to allowing shots at the rim. Either way, Edey has to do his best job ever with it, but also in his ability to be high enough to take away pick-and-pop threes against teams who can do that (see: Hunter Dickinson).
BIGGEST QUESTION(S)
This is about covered already, but the decision-making is the biggest, IMO. This is the most responsibility Edey has ever carried on a team and probably ever will carry on a team in his basketball career. He's Purdue's starting point at both ends of the floor and the definition of the term "foundational."
Oh, getting that foul-shooting percentage up would be a welcomed sight too for Purdue.
• Can Purdue make enough threes to give him the space he needs? Does this new group of guards hit the ground running knowing how to play with a guy like Edey? When has Braden Smith or David Jenkins ever played with a guy like this? Will more calls go his way than not.
Point is: Much of Edey's success is dependent on those around him.
BOTTOM LINE
No reason Edey can't be one of the most productive players in college basketball, maybe the most physically gifted players in college basketball. But Purdue has to be great around him, too, the way that group in 2019 wound up being great around Carsen Edwards and Ryan Cline.
